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(No Model.) 2 sheet -sheet 1.

J. A. TOPLIFP. I Machine for Bending Wood. No. 236,737. Patented Jan.18, 188i.

l l I I l I I NPETERQ FNOYO-LITHOGRAPHER, WAS:HINGTON 0.

' UNITED STATES AT N FICEQ JOHN A. TOPLIFF, OF ELYRIA, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OFONE-HALF TO GEORGE ELY, OF SAME PLACE.

MACHINE FOR BENDING WOOD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 236,737, dated January18, 1881.

Application filed May 24, 1880.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN A. TOPLIFF, a citizen of the United States,residing at Elyria, in the county of Lorain and State of Ohio,

have invented a new and useful Machine for Bending Wood, such as theBows of Carriage- Tops, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in that class of wood-bendingmachines used for bending bows for carriage-tops, and other analogouspurposes.

The object of my improvement is- First, to provide a clamp for thepurpose of securing the material to be operated upon 1 firmly to thebase of the machine by means of clamping-jaws, which are operated bymeans of a rack and pinion, so as to firmly impinge upon suitableprojections on the sides of the form at its lower edges. When theoperation of bending has been performed, said clampingjaws may bereadily opened by the operator.

Second, to aflord a ready and convenient means of firmly securing thebent material to the form after being bent, so that it may dry.

2 5 Third, to provide a ready means of simultaneously bending both endsof the material by using segments of screw-wheel gears, which areactuated by means of right and left hand screws, which may be thrown outand into gear, at the pleasure of the operator.

I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view. Fig. 2 is a side 5elevation, having the material to be bent and the form over which it isto be bent clamped in position for operation. Fig. 3 is a sideelevation, as it appears when the operation of bending has beencompleted. Fig. 4. is a de- 0 tached end elevation of the bearings whichsupportthe screw, showing the rack and pinion which are used inelevating and lowering when engaging or disengaging the screws with theworm-gear. Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the same without the pinion.Fig. 6 is a rear elevation of the same without the pinion. Fig. 7

, is a detached end elevation of the clampingjaws engaging theprojections on the sides of the form, and also the actuating-pinion.Fig.

8 is a front elevation of the same.

Fig.9isa

(No model.)

perspective view of the device for holding the ends of the material,

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The bed-plate A, the legs B, the extendingbars 0, and braces Dconstitute the frame of the machine.

E represents an axle on which pulley F is secured. The ends of said axleoutside of the bearings G form right and left hand screws.

Bearings G are formed on ways, so that they may be raised or lowered bymeans of a rack, a, and pinion I), (see Fig. 4,) for the purpose ofengaging the screw with the segment of worm-gear wheel H and throwingthe same out of gear, when desired.

Pinion b is secured on an axle, c, seen in dotted lines in Figs. 1 and3, and in full lines in Fig. 2. Said axle is so bent as to accommodatepulley F, and at a convenient point on said axle is attached a lever andpedal 0?, upon which the operator places his foot and presses downwardwhen he desires to engage the screws I I with the segments H.

Segments H H are secured on axles J J, 7 which rotate in suitablebearings e c. Said axles J J extend across the bed of the machine, asseen in Fig. 1. To these axles are rigidly secured arms K K, whichextend outward as far as is necessary to accommodate the length ofmaterial to be bent. On the ends of arms K K are placed sliding blocksL, (see Fig. 1,) which are designed to support and carry the ends of thematerial forward in process of bending.

M represents the form around which the material is bent, which may beconstructed as seen in Figs. 2 and 3. Upon the lower edges of this formare secured projections f, each of which is provided with a rib, g. o

NN represent clamping-jaws, which slide in grooves h h. Said grooves andthe tongues that fit into them are made dovetailing, so as to preventthe jaws being lifted out of place while in operation. Upon the loweredge of 5 the tongue of sliding jaws N N is a rack, r, into whichpinions ii mesh, for the purpose of moving clamping-jaws N N. (See Figs.7 and 8.) To the axle of said pinion a lever, j, is attached, whichserves to actuate said :00

pinions and give them such a part of a revolution as is necessary toimpart a slight movement to the rack and jaws. Said pinions i 43, beingon the same axle, impart a simultaneous movement to jaws N N. Saidmovement may be obtained by means of cams, eccentrics, or otherequivalent devices. N N represent two stationary jaws, which are placedon the opposite side of the bed-plate, and are also secured in thedovetailed grooves h h. All of said jaws N N N N are provided with aprojection, 70, as seen in Fig. 7 which is intended to hook ontoprojection f on the form M, for the purpose of securing said form inposition. Projection 7c is, on its inner edge, so notched as to admitthe rib g, as seen in Figs. 1 and 7,

. for the purpose of preventing any side movement of the form.

0 0 represent holders, which are secured to the ends of the flexiblemetallic strip 1, in common use in machines of this class, for holdingthe ends of the material while bending. Said holders are made in theform seen in Fig. 9. A cross-bar, m, which projects below the undersurface of the holder, serves to strengthen the same, and at the sametime form a support or seat for purpose of holding link a in place. Linka (see Figs. 3 and '9) is extended over the top of the form and takeshold of ratchet-teeth 0 on upper edge of form, for the purpose ofsecuring the material in the best position until seasoned.

The operation of my improvements is as follows: First all of the partsof the machine are in the position seen in Figs. 1 and 2. The materialto be bent is then placed in position on the metallic strip 1, so as tolie within holders 0 0. These are then laid upon the bed of the machinein the position seen in Fig. 2. The

holders 0 O, resting on blocks L L, and the form M being placed in theposition seen in Fig. 2, equidistant from either end, the lever j israised up until pinions i i, acting on racks r 0", have forcedclamping-jaws N N firmly into position, thus firmly securing the form inplace. Then the operator presses lever 01 downward, and thus, throughthe action of pinion and rack a, causes screw-axle E to be elevateduntil screws I I engage the wormgears H H and impart to them a rotarymotion in opposite directions, thus elevating arms K, gradually carryingthem up to the desired position seen in Fig. 3. The link a is thenhooked over the form into the ratchet-teeth 0, thus securing thematerial to the form. Then the pedal and lever d are relieved, and theaxle E gravitates out of gear to the position seen in Fig. 2. The armsK, now being relieved, return to their original position. Lever j isdepressed, so as to relieve the clampingjaws, when the form may beremoved.

\Vhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The axle E, having on its ends right and left hand screws I I, incombination with gears H H, and arms and appendages, as described, thesame being constructed and operating in the manner and for the purposesubstantially as described.

2. The screws II, gears H H, arms K K, combined, the same beingconstructed and operating in the manner and for the purposesubstantially as specified.

3. The axle E, sliding bearings GG, in combination with the rack a, andpinion b, for operating segments H H and their arms, the same beingconstructed in the manner and for the purpose substantially asspecified.

4. The combination, with the bending mechanism described, of slidingjaws n n, jaws n n, projection f, and rib g, on the form, said partsoperating between bending levers to hold, form, and work in place,substantially as set forth.

JOHN A. TOPLIFF.

Witnesses:

HEMAN ELY, FRED N. SMITH.

